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Mandatory

Disaster, Gummint

A couple days ago I went to the supermarket to top up our supplies of various necessities (you know:  cleaning products, milk, vegetables, chocolate, etc.) and had two different experiences.

Firstly, there was Kroger, which was busy, but basically allowed one to walk in, shop around and keep a “safe” distance from other customers.

At Central Market, there was a long line outside the store, each customer standing at a “social distance” from each other, and only being allowed to enter the store at three-minute intervals.  (Thank gawd it was a cool day [45F];  had it been Dallas mid-summer broil [100F++], I wouldn’t have stayed.)

At both stores, I estimated that face masks were being worn by about 50%-60% of all customers, in both stores (I not one of them).  And I have to confess that I felt as though I should have worn one —  even though Plano’s Chinkvirus infection rate is tiny, and the death toll less than a rounding error.

So as much as I have railed against the fucking lockdown and accompanying regs, I find myself curiously conflicted by this little piece of officialdom:

All persons shall wear facial coverings before they enter any indoor facility besides their residence, any enclosed open space, or while outdoors when the person is unable to maintain a six-foot distance from another person at all times.

I have to say that of all the stupid Gummint shit that has taken place recently, and loath as I am to ascribe any kind of sense to Southern California governments in general, this regulation actually makes a great deal of sense to me.  I know that face masks are not perfectly efficient, but they do work from a logical perspective in that they prevent sneezes and coughs from spraying aerosol germs all over the damn place.  It’s not perfect, but it is also a good prophylactic device — and the old “perfection is the enemy of the good” warning definitely applies here.

So the next time I go out on a shopping trip, I’ll be wearing a face mask from my Grab ‘N Go stash, and at all times in the future.  And yes, I already carry a bunch of steri-wipes in my pocket, and clean my hands and touching-surfaces obsessively.  All that plus our already-low COVID infection rate should suffice to keep me safe.  Me, in a face mask?

I’ll have to take a lesson from one of our elected Texas politicians…

…after all, she does have a BA from Yale and a law degree from U. of Virginia.  Or I can just go for a full-face cover:

No News, Good News

Health

Went for my semi-annual checkup this morning, really just for a  blood draw because cholesterol.

Same ol’, same ol’ — heart fine, lungs fine, BP okay, results from earlier colonoscopy excellent… “Now get out and quit wasting my time, see you in six months” from Doctor Sawbones.

Oh, and despite my fears, I haven’t gained any weight.

I was the only patient in his office.   He’s struggling, big time.  Nobody wants to come in to see him — everything is over the phone.

Out of his entire patient list, he’s had ONE (1) positive Coronavirus test — ironically, his nurse’s mother who last February went to Las Vegas  (motto:  we’re #2 behind New Orleans for the Pox Capital of the U.S.A.).  She coughed a bit for about a week, then recovered.  No hospitalization necessary, despite age (72).  East Texas farm gal, what can I say?

It’s time to get back to work, folks.

Update:  forgot to mention that at QuikTrip and Raceway, we’re paying $1.20 for Regular, even less at Kroger with the 3c/gal discount.  Now all I need is someplace to go.

Love And Sex In The Time Of Self-Isolation

Disaster, Funny Stuff, Men & Women

There have been all sorts of crappy articles written about how people are coping (or not) with their enforced separation from society — e.g. “OMG am I ever going to get laid again?” — all of which have apparently been written by Twinks, Snowflakes and similarly socially-inept twerps.

But Oglaf has the best (and funniest) take, I think.  (As with all his stuff, it’s NSFW — oh, what the hell am I thinking?  You’re ALL working from home, aren’t you?  Go ahead and click on the link.)

Quote Of The Day

QOTD

From an email:

Dear Friends,
Today marks 4 weeks of isolation.  I’ve been walking 2.5 miles a day around my neighborhood, increased my water consumption, no meat, no sugar, no dairy, no caffeine and no flour.  The change has been fantastic!  I feel great!  Zero alcohol!  Lost 17 pounds of fat and now see muscle definition.

People like this are usually murdered.

Add To The List

Gummint

A summary of more than a few emails I’ve received on the topic:

“Kim, when you talked about disbanding the FDA, how about the CDC?”

An excellent point.  Here’s a piece which catalogs the awfulness of the CDC, who while investigating “diseases” such as childhood obesity and gun violence, completely fucked up when it came to their actual mission.

Toss ’em all overboard, say I, and forget not the concrete boots.

Proper Wording

Good Stuff

Tim Worstall makes an excellent point here:

Don’t ‘celebrate’ gay people, just accept us, says teacher at centre of schools row

Accept is reasonable, but I think tolerate is closer to the correct meaning. To accept Simon Cowell would be asking too much, toleration is about as liberal as I can get.
And yes, Mr. Cowell is a reasonable comparison for sexuality. Other peoples’ tastes are none of my damn business assuming that they’re not being offered directly to me to partake of, subject to the usual consenting adults only caveat.

Quite right.  I have no problem with, for example, Homosexual Pride parades;  I tolerate  them (as long as I don’t have to actually see them or be caught in the middle of one).  Do I accept  them?

No.

It’s a small but important distinction, and well done Tim for pointing that out.  And never mind “accept”;  you can forget that “celebration” bullshit, too:  that’s never going to happen.